Over
20 Million Tourists Traveled Between GCC Countries in 2025

Muscat,
28 Sep 2026 (ONA) — A statistical bulletin issued by the Statistical Centre
for the GCC (GCC-Stat) clarified that more than 20 million tourists traveled between
the GCC countries during 2025, recording an increase of 3.6 percent compared to
2024.

The
bulletin, issued by the Centre on the occasion of World Tourism Day, reviewed
the most prominent indicators of the tourism sector and the level of digital
readiness in the GCC countries under the title “Gulf Tourism in the Era of
Smart Transformation.”

It
is expected that tourism will contribute approximately USD 365.7 billion to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the GCC countries in 2035, while the expected
number of jobs provided by the tourism sector in the GCC will reach 5.8 million
jobs by 2035.

The
Centre clarified that the rapid transformations led by digital technologies and
artificial intelligence (AI) are pushing Gulf tourism toward a new phase that
relies on data and innovation in developing the tourist experience, supporting
decision-making, developing skills, and enhancing the efficiency and
sustainability of tourism destination management.

Preliminary
data contained in the bulletin showed that the number of inbound tourists to the
GCC countries reached about 75.7 million tourists during 2025, rising by 4.9
percent compared to 2024. Meanwhile, tourism revenues increased by 9.7 percent
to reach approximately USD 131.9 billion.

The
significant increase in revenues compared to the growth rate in the number of
tourists indicates an improvement in the economic value realized from tourism
movement and a rise in average tourism expenditure, as the average revenue
reached about USD 1,743 per inbound tourist during the year.

The
bulletin indicated that the total number of hotel establishments in the GCC
countries reached about 12.4 thousand establishments, an increase of 4.8
percent compared to 2024. This reflects the continuous expansion in capacity
and investment in accommodation facilities and tourism services.

The
Centre highlighted the digital enablers supporting the redesign of the future
of tourism, affirming that advanced digital infrastructure represents a
fundamental pillar for developing tourism services and experiences, and supporting
the transition toward smarter and more integrated tourism.

The
results also showed that all GCC countries scored 60 points or more in the
mobile application development index. This reflects their possession of
advanced digital capabilities that can be utilized to develop innovative
tourism applications, facilitate visitors’ access to information and services,
and improve the user experience before, during, and after the trip.

The
bulletin affirms that the future of Gulf tourism relies on increasing visitor
numbers and expanding hotel establishments, as well as on the sector’s ability
to leverage data, artificial intelligence, and digital applications to
understand tourist needs, forecast demand, personalize services, and manage
destinations efficiently and sustainably.

The
indicators also reflect the importance of enhancing the integration of tourism
data among GCC countries, developing shared digital platforms, and linking
booking, transport, and event services. This contributes to offering an
interconnected Gulf tourism experience, maximizing the economic value of the
tourist, and cementing the region’s position on the global tourism map.

—Ends/AG